Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the A-REITs, IT and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.44% to hit a new all time high.
The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Iress Ltd (ASX:IRE), which rose 16.80% or 1.84 points to trade at 12.79 at the close. Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) added 5.18% or 0.100 points to end at 2.030 and Unibail Rodamco Westfield (ASX:URW) was up 3.85% or 0.24 points to 6.48 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX:NWH), which fell 3.40% or 0.06 points to trade at 1.56 at the close. A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX:A2M) declined 3.33% or 0.19 points to end at 5.51 and Oil Search Ltd (ASX:OSH) was down 3.33% or 0.140 points to 4.070.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 718 to 628 and 406 ended unchanged.
Shares in Iress Ltd (ASX:IRE) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 16.80% or 1.84 to 12.79. Shares in Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX:WHC) rose to 52-week highs; rising 5.18% or 0.100 to 2.030. Shares in Unibail Rodamco Westfield (ASX:URW) rose to 52-week highs; rising 3.85% or 0.24 to 6.48.
The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 0.40% to 12.951.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.71% or 13.55 to $1881.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.41% or 0.29 to hit $69.67 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.43% or 0.31 to trade at $71.91 a barrel.
AUD/USD was up 0.02% to 0.7731, while AUD/JPY fell 0.06% to 84.67.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.15% at 90.255.